


You're Music To My Eyes

by SoulsOfStardust



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal High School, F/M, Friendship, Gen, I Hope This Is Okay, I Tried, I'll try my best, Multi, Romance, multichap fic, mute/deaf characters, suggestions are welcome, they're all idiots but they make it work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 03:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18460439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulsOfStardust/pseuds/SoulsOfStardust
Summary: He's in love with her music.  And her.  In which, Five falls in love with the pretty violinist next door.





	You're Music To My Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Here I am jumpin on the Fiveya bandwagon. With a multi-chap fic, no less! If I’m being honest, they were my first ship, but then I also started liking Diego/Vanya so here we are. Two ships battling it out. Idk where I’m takin it just yet, but I have some ideas. Inspired by Music to My Eyes by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Normal!AU where they live on the same street and go to high school together. My first attempt at a multi-chap fic, so there’s that warning. I might edit stuff a lot and update erratically, too. It’ll be an experience! Lemme know what y’all think! I’m also open to suggestions.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Umbrella Academy or Music to My Eyes. This is just for fun and not for profit.

8905 Umbrella Circle, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  That’s where they were going.  They were moving to House Number Six, and it was completely unfair.

Five sulked in the passenger seat of his mom’s car.  He should’ve known that they were bound to move again, but they had stayed at their last house for four years.  It was the longest they had remained in one place, save for their first house.  He had liked it there, and so had his mom.  He had hoped it would stick. 

It didn’t.

Now, he found himself in a sweltering June heat in the aptly named Sunshine State.  Moving was bad enough, but leaving Illinois behind for Florida was an extra stab in the back.  The climate was turbulent, the people were weird, and the peninsula was surely sinking into the ocean.  Florida was hell on earth, and he would be calling it home. 

What a _nightmare_.

Five shifted his gaze from the side window to glance at his mom in the driver’s seat.  Her eyebrows were scrunched together and her hands tightly gripped the wheel.  His anger partially subsided at the sight of worry etched into her being.  He knew his mom was under a lot of pressure as a single parent and an author.  She didn’t want to move around so often any more than he did, but she had found that it helped spark inspiration for her writing.  A new scenery meant a new story meant a new paycheck.  That’s how they lived their lives, which wasn’t ideal for either one of them, but it was a life nonetheless.

His mom turned to him when she felt his eyes on her and her face softened to a small smile.  She mouthed _I love you_ to her son, who grimaced and returned his focus back to the outside world.  Even if it wasn’t her fault that they were moving again, he was still upset.  And a mopey teenager at that. 

They turned down a short road that ended in a cul-de-sac.  Only seven cookie-cutter houses lined the street.  8901 sat at the far end in the middle of the dead-end circle.  Even numbers 8902 through 8906 rose on the left side and odd numbers 8903 through 8907 were on the right.  It was a horribly picturesque suburban neighborhood, the generic homes most likely occupied by equally generic families living out the American Dream™ with two (2) parents, 2.5 kids, and a golden retriever named Lucky.

It was the life that Five had wanted for as long as he could remember, the life that he felt his mother deserved more than anyone else.

Life didn’t work out that way for either of them, though.

They turned into the driveway of 8905 Umbrella Circle and parked.  Neither of them made a move to get out and start unpacking. 

Five continued to stare out the window.  His hardened gaze was set on 8907 next door, but he wasn’t really seeing what he was looking at as he was too engrossed in his anger to pay attention.  His mother next to him still had a hand wrapped around the wheel while the other clutched the gear shift.  She was looking at him, he could feel it, but he didn’t want to look at her, didn’t want to talk to her.

She reached over and gently placed her hand on his arm.  The touch caused him to jerk in surprise, and he was forced to meet her eyes.  Tears were gathered in them, and the tension immediately melted away as he pulled her into a hug.  Five couldn’t stay mad at her for very long.  He never could.  He loved his mother more than anything in the world. 

He pulled away after her sniffles died down, his hands remaining on her shoulders.  She wiped at her eyes as the words _I’m sorry_ graced her lips.

“It’s okay.”

His mom raised an eyebrow at him.  She was unconvinced.

“Okay, maybe it’s not okay _right now_.  But it will be.”

Her expression was still uncertain at his sincerity as she searched his face for clues that he was lying.

“Mom, I promise.  It’s going to be okay.”

She didn’t seem entirely satisfied, but she trusted her son to tell her the truth.  She smiled at him and softly patted his cheek, causing Five to smile in return.  The moving truck pulled up next to the house in that moment, so they both exited the car to begin moving into their new home. 

They walked up the stairs of the front porch and stood in front of the door to the two-story building, hesitant to start this new chapter of their life.  Five grabbed his mother’s hand and squeezed it before unlocking the door and stepping across the threshold with a box of his clothes in hand.

The inside was just as basic as the outside.  It was a beautiful house, really, and they were by no means struggling financially to afford it, but it lacked any sort of uniqueness that would make it feel like an actual home.  Or perhaps it didn’t seem homey because it wasn’t their home, not really.  Five had only been comfortable in House Number One and House Number Five.  He wondered if House Number Six would ever be a home to him and not just a house.

He passed a grand piano as he walked through the foyer.  He remembered he hadn’t practiced in a few weeks since he had learned of their plans to move.  He figured he would start up again once they were finished unpacking.

He climbed the stairs that began in the foyer and ended in a small living room with short hallways that extended in either direction.  There were a couple bedrooms and bathrooms up there as well.  His mom had told him he could have the second floor practically all to himself since her bedroom was downstairs along with the kitchen, living room, and office.

Five picked the bedroom on the far right as his own.  When he entered the room, he could see a window on each of the walls, allowing him a view of the backyard, the house next door, and the front yard.  A bed, dresser, desk, and bookshelf were already set up in the room.  They had bought a house that was pre-furnished since moving so often made it a pain to ship large pieces of furniture across the country.

He dropped the box he was carrying onto the floor just inside the doorway.  He leaned against the frame as he looked around the room.  _His_ room.  He was going to be living here for an undetermined amount of time, and it made him sad.

Five sighed.  He didn’t show sadness anymore.  He felt it, but he didn’t show it.  He showed anger instead, an unfortunate habit that he’s had since he was eight years old. 

He missed his old home, though, and he was sure his mom did too.  He wished they could go back so that he wouldn’t have to get accustomed to the drab gray walls and mahogany furniture that were most likely duplicated in each of the houses on his street.  Not to mention the ridiculous summer heat that was boiling him alive.

He pushed from the doorframe as he decided to head back downstairs to finish unloading their belongings.  As he moved to leave, though, movement outside his window caught his eye.  He drew closer to the opposite wall, curiously taking a look out the window to identify what he had seen.

It was a girl.

She stood in what Five could only assume was her bedroom in the house next door, 8907.  He couldn’t see her that well as they were several yards apart and the sun made an impossible glare on his window, but he could make out shoulder-length chocolate curls and a petite frame. 

She didn’t notice him, but there was a reason for that.  She had her eyes closed and was softly swaying as she played a violin.  The smooth motion of her arm sliding the bow across the strings of her instrument must have been what had captured his attention.  

Five felt a little disappointed that he couldn’t hear what she was playing.  The thick window panes must have been soundproofed, blocking her melodies from reaching his ears.

Before long, she stopped and lowered the violin from its place under her chin.  Her eyes had opened and turned to meet his as she had probably felt the weight of someone’s gaze on her.  Her eyes were dark, almost appearing black at this distance, but he was certain they were brown.  She looked startled that a stranger had been watching her and hurried to her window, but briefly hesitated.  She stared at him for a second before yanking her curtains closed.

His eyebrows knitted together as he left his room and made his way back outside.  It was a strange first encounter with one of his new neighbors.  He hoped the rest of them weren’t as weird and awkward as what he had just experienced with the girl next door. 

Fate had never been one to favor him, though.

Five was finishing up moving their boxes of possessions while his mom rested inside of the house when a couple teenagers made their way from the end of the road to stand in his driveway, blocking his way to the moving truck. 

“You need some help there?”

The question came from a tall blond boy.  He looked athletic and held himself with an air of confidence.  He was probably the popular jock at school, the kind of person that Five didn’t care to be around.

“I think we got it, but thanks.”

“Are you sure?  We’d love to help.”

The girl next to the blond insisted.  She had curly hair and dark skin.  She was very pretty and seemed just as confident as the boy she held hands with.  They must have been the _it_ couple.

Five knew they were just being nice, but he really wasn’t in the mood to be harassed by his new neighbors.  Before he could turn down their offer for a second time, another teenager sidled up to the driveway. 

This street was apparently _filled_ with adolescents. 

Oh _joy_.

“Quit annoying him, Allison.  He already said no.”

The new addition to their small group was a boy with tan skin and dark cropped hair.  A scar cut across the side of his head and he seemed intimidating, but he didn’t unnerve Five in the slightest.  Nothing ever did, really.

“Shut up, Diego.  Maybe you’d understand if you had a single nice bone in your body.”

The blond boy glared daggers at the brunet boy, Diego.  There was a thick tension between the three teens, and Five didn’t want any part of it, especially not on the first day in his new house.

“We’re fine, really.”

He tried to back away and retreat up the driveway, but _two_ _more_ teenagers walked over, as if the commotion was attracting them like moths to a light. 

How many teens lived in this place?  _Of course_ it was his dumb luck to move to a godforsaken neighborhood like this where angsty and hormonal teens ran rampant.  Not that he also wasn’t one, but _still_. 

It was annoying.

“This looks like a fun party that I _wasn’t invited to_.  So, you’re just gonna talk to the new kid without me, huh?  I see how it is.”

A curly haired boy whined.  He wore makeup and flamboyant clothing.  He sported a goofy grin and made exaggerated gestures to the group.  He was definitely the class clown type, and Five dreaded having to deal with his antics for the unforeseeable future.

“I didn’t realize they had to ask for your permission, Klaus.”

The boy next to who he assumed was Klaus joked.  He had raven hair and almond eyes.  He seemed soft-spoken, but his comment suggested that he wasn’t as reserved as he appeared.  He was probably the most tolerable out of the group.

The quips from the two boys seemed to dissolve the previous strain in the conversation as everyone smiled or laughed in their presence.  All except for Five.  He was still irritated by the fact that there were five teenagers crowding around him in his driveway.  He wasn’t expecting to talk to anyone in the neighborhood, not for a while at least.  His anger was rising to the surface again, and he was having a hard time keeping it in check when he spoke.

“Look, as much as I would like to say your interest in me is appreciated, it really _isn’t_.  So, if all of you could just _go_ , that would be _great_.”

They turned to him with surprised looks on their faces.  They hadn’t expected him to be so brash with his words. 

“Someone’s a grumpy old bastard.”

Klaus was the first to recover from the shock.  His remark earned him a punch to either arm, a slap to the back of the head, and five angry glares.  All he did was smile maniacally and mutter _ouch_ in response.

“I’m sorry if we bothered you.  We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood, is all.”

Allison apologized, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.  Five flinched slightly and took a step away from her before she could touch him.  The only person allowed to touch him was his mom, and it would remain that way.

“I’m not looking to make friends right now.”

Not ever, actually.  He’d never had any close friends in all the places he’d lived.  He didn’t try to make friends, and people didn’t try to make friends with him, especially when he snapped at them to leave him alone.  He had been okay with that.

However, this was a different situation.  These people were _weird_.

“Too late.  You’ve met us, so now you’re stuck with us.”

Diego crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.  His sarcastic comment didn’t seem to match his hard, serious exterior.

“What he means is that we live in the same neighborhood, so we might as well be friends.”

The blond boy shot an annoyed look at Diego as he phrased his comment differently.  Five rolled his eyes.  Their rivalry was idiotic, and he wondered why they even considered each other friends if they hated each other so much.

“I probably won’t be here for very long, anyways, so there’s no point in even learning my name.”

They all stared at him expectantly.  That was probably the wrong thing to say.  They were obviously waiting for him to reveal his name now.  He blamed the heat.

“Well, get on with it.  We don’t have all day.”

The black-haired boy with Klaus egged him on.  Maybe he wasn’t the most tolerable like he had thought.  The others gave their agreement with nods and _yeahs_.  Five groaned.  It was apparent that they wouldn’t be leaving him alone any time soon.

“Whatever.  Just call me Five.”

Each of their faces contorted into different forms of confusion.

“What the fuck is _Five_ supposed to mean?”

Diego mumbled.

“Is it the number of people you’ve killed?  Or the women you’ve screwed?  I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

Klaus asked with wide eyes and a stupid grin.  Five really wanted to smack the smug look from his face.

“Klaus, stop it!”

The blond boy scolded him, but it didn’t seem to faze the idiot.  He figured that no one really took the tall blond seriously, except maybe for Allison.  But only sometimes.

“I am so sorry about him.  I wish I could say he’s usually not like this, but unfortunately, he is.”

Allison apologized again, and Five hoped it wouldn’t be a recurring facet of conversation.  Someone did something dumb and Allison apologized for them.  He hated the thought of people talking in circles like that.

“Look, you got my name.  _Please_ leave now.”

They stayed.  What _assholes_.

“Ben.”

The boy with raven hair spoke up, pointing a finger at his chest.  His name was Ben.  He moved around the circle naming and pointing at everyone the same way he had done with himself.  At that point, Five had known everyone’s name except for the blond, who was Luther, but he didn’t interrupt.

“Congratulations, we’ve introduced each other.  I’m going inside now and never coming out again.”

Before he turned, he noticed Allison’s gaze had moved beyond him, and a little _oh_ escaped her lips.  She started waving and motioning towards the group excitedly.  He was confused as he started up the driveway until he stopped in his tracks, noticing what, or more like who Allison was trying to communicate with. 

The same girl from earlier stood at the window of what appeared to be her living room.  She was smiling and timidly waving back, but ultimately shook her head _no_ to the invitation to join them.  Her eyes shifted to him for a moment before she slipped away from view.

“Who is she?”

The question fell from his mouth faster than he had time to think about it.  Five returned to the group to get his answer.  They all looked at him with puzzled expressions, wondering why he was so curious about the girl suddenly.

“Oh, Mr. Five.  That right there is the girl next door, Ms. Vanya Ivanova.  She’s a sweet little thing, mind you.  I reckon she wouldn’t have much interest in a disagreeable man such as yourself.”

Klaus explained with a fake southern accent.  Another round of smacking and glares was administered to the fool.  Allison apologized again.  Five hated everyone.

“I’ve had enough of you people.  Just because we know our names doesn’t make us friends.  I’m literally _begging_ you to never come back.”

He was pleading with them.  Fuck, what had he come to?

“Oh please, you’re not even initiated yet.  Can’t call ya friend, even if we wanted to.”

Diego smirked.  Five didn’t like it.

“What the _hell_ is that supposed to even _mean_?”

He was so confused, but everyone just laughed and agreed with Diego’s statement. 

“Oh, my sweet summer child, my little Five.  You’re going to be _fucking hazed_.”

Klaus laughed like a mad man.  Ben pushed him to the ground where he continued to gasp for air and roll around.

“You’re not getting hazed.  We’re talking about going to Griddy’s because it’s tradition for us.”

Luther corrected the misinformation that Klaus had provided.  His clarification didn’t help Five at all.

“And what the hell is Griddy’s?”

Five’s question made everyone’s jaw drop.  Even Klaus stopped convulsing in his driveway to look at him in disbelief.

“Jesus, where did you even come from?  Griddy’s is the donut shop on the beach.”

Ben answered as if it should’ve been obvious.

“Peoria.”

His last hometown was lost on the group.

“ _Illinois_.”

Five was met with a chorus of _ohs_ and _okays_.  He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take.

“Well, you’re in for a treat.  We’re going tonight for the best donuts ever, so if you wanna come, you can.”

Allison smiled invitingly and clasped her hands together in front of her chest, as if she was praying he would say _yes_. 

“Just know that if you do come, you’ll be joining our group _forever_.  Once you’re in, there’s no.  Way.   _Out_.”

Klaus recovered and tried standing up again, only for Diego to shove him back down for his attempt to scare Five.  He wasn’t frightened, just confused as _fuck_.  These people were so determined to make him their friend.  He couldn’t understand _why_.

“No.”

Everyone stared at him.  He hated when they did that.

“What do you mean _no_?”

Diego sputtered the words. 

“I told you, I wasn’t looking for friends right now, and I don’t even know you people.  Besides, I got here, like, an hour ago, and I still have to unpack.”

Five knew his excuses were golden.  He had been working up to laying them all out on the table since the get-go.

“Well, you do know that the unpacking could go a lot faster with some help, right?”

Luther pointed out, probably still a little miffed that Five had turned his offer down earlier.  He was getting sick of this guy.

“Well, you do know that I don’t need or want your fucking help, right?”

He could see Allison open her mouth to say something, but immediately cut her off.

“And don’t you fucking dare say _I’m sorry_.  I’ve heard you apologize, like, five times already, and I’ve only known you for twenty minutes.”

Her mouth clamped shut so hard he could hear her teeth _clack_.

“Is diaper baby having a tantrum?”

Klaus certainly had a knack for joking at the wrong times.

“I’m in hell!”

Five yelled and threw his hands in the air.  He glared at the teenagers around him, who shared wary looks with one another.  He was satisfied that maybe he had unsettled them enough to leave him alone from now on, but his triumph was short-lived. 

The group burst out laughing.  Ben fell onto the ground next to Klaus.  Allison leaned into Luther.  Diego stumbled with his arms clutching his sides.  Five was at a loss for words.  He had no fucking clue what was wrong with these people. 

However, the sight of them laughing so hard and falling over themselves in the process was contagious.  He spluttered as he tried to hold in his laughter, but Ben accidentally punching Klaus in the nose as they jerked around on the ground and Diego snorting so hard that he started coughing pushed him over the edge.  He joined them, and he laughed harder than he could ever remember.  He _felt happier_ than he could ever remember.  And he didn’t even know why they were laughing in the first place.

They finally calmed down after a few minutes.  Klaus and Ben helped each other off the ground.  Five’s sides were sore, but he actually felt happy for once, so it was worth it.

“Well, what do ya know, hardass does know how to smile.”

Allison grinned at him, making him roll his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.  Don’t get used to it.”

He waved them off and tried to wipe the smile from his face, but it was an effort in vain.

“Oh, I think your mom wants to talk to you.”

Luther pointed behind Five.  He turned and saw his mom standing on the porch, a wide smile spread across her face.  She must have seen their hysterical episode and found it amusing.  She saluted _hello_ and asked her son a question.

_Are these your new friends?_

Five scoffed and gestured _no_ with a shake of his head, although his grin gave away his lie.

“So, we’re not your new friends— _ow_!”

Klaus’s muttering was cut off by Diego elbowing him in the ribs for interrupting the conversation. 

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.  I’ve gotta get these idiots out of the driveway first.”

She looked like she wanted to scold him for calling the other teenagers _idiots_ , but she just waved _goodbye_ and mouthed _I love you_ before reentering their house.

When Five turned back towards the others, they looked amazed by his interaction with his mom.  He wasn’t sure what to think of their reactions.

“You guys know sign language?”

Allison asked, quickly glancing at the door his mother had just disappeared through.

“Um, yeah.  My mom is mute.”

They all looked at each other with big smiles.  They obviously knew something he didn’t.  It was safe to say he was a little concerned by their facial expressions.

“Five, you’re going to fit in here just fine.”

Ben nodded at him in reassurance.  Five was confused more than ever by what just happened, but he accepted that he probably would never understand these people and their weird thought processes.

“Thanks, I guess.  But seriously, I need to get this last box into the house so I can start unpacking inside.  So, if you all could kindly _fuck off_.”

The group laughed and finally yielded to his pleas, but not before Allison requested to use Klaus’s eyeliner to scribble her phone number on Five’s arm against his will, to which he replied _what the actual fuck_ when he couldn’t pull away from her iron grip. 

“Text me, and I’ll add you to the groupchat.”

She said matter-of-factly.

“Yas girl, give him those digits!  Oh Luther, you’ve got some competition, I see.”

Klaus teased the blond who looked about two seconds from punching him in the nose.

“We’ll be going now.”

Thankfully, Diego pushed Luther towards his house while Allison pulled him by the arm.  They offered Five a mix of _nice to meet you_ , _see ya around_ , and _bye, asshole_ as they walked down the street.  He wasn’t sure what came from who.  Next thing he knew, Ben cuffed Klaus on the head.

“Every time, idiot.  You just love getting bloody lips, don’t you?”

Klaus just laughed and screamed _absolutely_ and _ciao, fuckers_ as he skipped back to his home across the street.  Ben sighed and turned back to Five.

“It really was nice meeting you.  You seem to be reasonable.  These dumbasses share about three braincells, and unfortunately, just being around them makes me lose my own sometimes.”

Five laughed at his comment as he walked to the moving truck and lifted the last box from the back.  Ben closed the door after him.

“I’m not sure it was _nice_ meeting you guys, but it sure was interesting to say the least.”

They were walking up his driveway now.

“Yeah, saying we’re an unconventional bunch is an understatement, but we love each other nonetheless, even if it’s hard to see that in the way we treat each other.”

Ben glanced over at 8907.  Vanya’s house.  Five thought back to earlier when she had declined the invitation to come outside with them.

“Do you think I’ll get to meet her?”

He asked the question knowing that he probably wouldn’t get a straight answer.  Ben pursed his lips.

“You eventually will, but I don’t know how soon that will be.  Just be patient with her, alright?”

They climbed the porch stairs together before stopping in front of the door.

“Yeah, of course.  Why wouldn’t I?”

Ben flinched at Five’s words.  He wondered what that was about.

“Some people aren’t so forgiving.”

Ben reached for the knob and pushed the door open to let Five into the house.  He was confused by what he had just said, but he figured he’d find out what he meant in time.

“Thanks.  I guess I’ll see ya around?”

Five set the box down before turning back to Ben.

“Absolutely.  Good luck with unpacking and welcome to the neighborhood, Five.”

Ben smiled and waved as he hopped off the porch and walked towards his house, which sat across from Vanya’s.  Five closed the door behind him and made his way towards the kitchen where he could smell the aroma of spaghetti wafting in the air.

_Dinner will be ready shortly.  Do you want to watch a movie tonight?_

His mother signed as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Definitely.  Should we scroll through Netflix for an hour before deciding to watch _Amadeus_ again?”

His hands gestured in sync with his words.  His mother voicelessly laughed and responded.

_I think we should accept our fate and put in_ Amadeus _._

Five smiled and agreed.  _Amadeus_ was their favorite movie in an ironic way.  His mother loved Mozart’s laugh and he loved the music he played.  The compositions of Mozart were the pieces he had worked so hard to master to make his parents proud once he saw the movie for the first time when he was a kid.  He still wasn’t perfect years down the road, but he was pretty damn close.  He pushed those thoughts aside as he searched through the box labeled _movies_ for the right disc. 

When they finally sat down with their meal and the previews played on the television, his mother turned to him.

_You looked happy today.  It makes me glad that you are happy._

Five knew she was referring to the laughing incident from earlier.  He couldn’t deny that he had been happy.  It felt good.  He grinned with a mouthful of spaghetti and signed. 

_I am happy, and I hope you are too._

They proceeded to spend their evening just like most of their nights in, curled up on the couch with a bowl of comfort food and a movie playing on the television.  Five enjoyed these nights with his mother, and she surely enjoyed them, too.

When the movie ended, Five cleaned the dishes and wished his mother goodnight before heading upstairs to his room. 

He stood in the doorway again like he did earlier, peering around at the dark walls and darker furniture.  It was going to take some getting used to, that’s for sure.  Compared to the light blue walls and tan furniture in his old room in Illinois, this room was like living in a cave.  The people who furnished it certainly hadn’t watched enough HGTV to understand that dark colors were a no-no. 

Five glanced at his watch and saw that it was just a quarter past ten.  He had some time to unpack his things before going to bed.

He had barely begun to place his shirts in the top drawer of his dresser when he looked out the window facing the front yard and saw a car pull up in front of his house.  There were a few people occupying the vehicle, and a shock of blond hair in the backseat sparked recognition.  The people he had met today were going to Griddy’s.  Movement on the other side of the road caught his eye, and he saw Klaus and Ben running from their respective houses to pile into the car, meaning Diego, Luther, and Allison were most likely in there already.

Five thought about changing his mind and joining them instead, but decided not to.  He still wasn’t sure how he felt about his strange neighbors, but he was pretty sure he would get to know them better in time, if today was any indication of their dedication to annoying the hell out of him.  He’d never really had friends before, and might have been open to the idea now with how happy he had felt earlier when he was laughing with them.

He was surprised to see another figure sprinting across his lawn toward the vehicle. 

It was Vanya. 

She stopped at the car, grasping the handle of the backdoor.  She must have had the ability to sense when someone was watching her because she turned around and made eye contact with Five for the third time that day.  This time, she didn’t immediately move to hide herself.  Instead, she cracked a small smile and saluted _hello_ , gestures which he was barely able to return before she pulled the door open and ducked inside the car. 

Diego popped his head out the window of the driver’s seat and waved at him.  Klaus crawled out of the passenger window on the opposite side to wildly flail his arms and get his attention.  Five just shooed them away, which they hesitantly but happily obliged to.  He watched their tail lights disappear as they turned the corner and were suddenly gone.

Five continued to put his stuff away until midnight, glancing out the window occasionally to see if they had returned yet.  He tried waiting up for another hour to make sure they got back safely, but he was too tired to stay awake for another minute.  He slid into his bed after turning the lights out and stared up at the ceiling, willing for sleep to overcome him.

As he laid there, his fingers tracing the phone number bleeding into his skin, he realized why they were laughing today.  They knew how strange they all were.  He didn’t need to point out their flaws because they already knew what they were.  They could laugh at themselves because they accepted their weirdness.  They probably recognized his peculiarities, too, and wanted him to be a part of their oddball clique.  They were a bizarre group of friends, but he guessed that’s what made them unique, perhaps even extraordinary.  

He wouldn’t say he was glad he had moved to 8905 Umbrella Circle, Fort Lauderdale, Florida just yet, it had only been _one day_ after all, but he could reluctantly admit to himself that he was _infinitesimally_ grateful that his neighbors weren’t the cookie-cutter suburban families that he thought they were.  Diversity was the spice of life, and all that jazz. 

Living on Umbrella Circle was certainly going to be an interesting roller coaster, for however long the wild ride was going to last for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed!  
> ~SOS~


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